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Choosing Fats – Margarine or Butter?

by Stella Morgan

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Choosing fats is the most important point of consideration, while cooking or scheduling a diet chart.

A healthy diet calls for the usage of margarine spreads, rather than butter, as this reduces the blood cholesterol. Margarines enriched with plants are also an ideal choice for keeping the cholesterol levels at a low profile. Cholesterol absorption is decreased by plant sterols, to an extent of 10 per cent. This reduces the risk of heart disease.

Consumption of a tablespoon of plant enriched margarine is beneficial in reducing the blood cholesterol levels.

Butter is a storehouse of saturated fats and excess is dangerous, as saturated fats results in high cholesterol levels. This results in arterial plaque formation, thereby narrowing the arterial lumen. Saturated fats are better avoided.

They are commonly seen in coconut oil, fatty meats, palm oil, dairy products, pastries, biscuits and deep fried foods. The processing technique of margarine and other shortenings results in an increased trans fatty acids. These trans fats are similar to LDL cholesterol in their functioning.

Margarine with reduced saturated fats, high poly unsaturated fats and less than 1% trans fats are preferred. This is identified by reading food labels. Margarines with minimal trans fats have been innovated and are being commercially marketed. Avocado spread or chick pea spread can be used as an alternative. Spreads containing corn oil, olive oil, safflower oil, canola oil, sesame seeds and sunflower oil are also recommended. Walnuts, almonds, hazelnut, cashew and peanuts are preferred in spreads.

Vegetable oil, especially from soybean is used in the manufacturing o0f margarine. Margarine is a good source of vitamins E and A. They contain the essential fatty acids, linolenic acid and linoleic acid. Spray and squeeze margarines are the latest in vogue.

Trans fat is lesser in these types, owing to its liquid nature. Trans fat free margarine tubs are also available and these prove to be heart friendly and tasty. The total of trans fat and saturated fats is less in margarine than in butter. Innovations in margarine have given rise to margarine with lower saturated fats (37 per cent), trans fat (59 per cent) and total fat (40 per cent).

Margarine is recommended by the American Heart Association (AHA), National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NJLBI) and the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP), instead of butter, as they are heart friendly. Butter has five-fold quantity of saturated fat, in comparison to margarine. Calories are lesser in margarine and the probability of cardiac problems, such as coronary heart diseases and cardiovascular diseases are reduced.

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